University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra’s South African Tour

South African audiences are in for an unforgettable musical experience as three world-renowned soloists—bass-baritone Daniel A. Washington, 2025 Grammy Award-winning soprano Karen Slack, and South Africa’s own acclaimed soprano Goitsemang Lehobye embark on a nationwide tour.

Daniel A. Washington, a distinguished bass-baritone and Tenured Professor of Music at the University of Michigan, is also an Honorary Professor at the University of Cape Town. An expert in African American classical music, Washington is celebrated globally as a performer, educator, and mentor.

Karen Slack, one of America’s most admired sopranos, is a passionate advocate for diversity in classical music. She recently won the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album with Beyond the Years: Unpublished Songs of Florence Price.

Goitsemang Lehobye, originally from Ga-Rankuwa, began her journey through the Black Tie Opera Ensemble Incubator Scheme and continued her formal training at UCT and the University of Michigan under Professor Washington. A winner of the Friends of Opera Anna Chapekis Award, her international career has included performances with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra.

The tour is led by celebrated conductor Kenneth Kiesler, who has directed the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra (UMSO) since 1995. The program has been curated especially for South African audiences, with an emphasis on works connected to African heritage. compositions by South African talents Sidumo Nyamezele and John Knox Bokwe.

In addition to public concerts, the UMSO will participate in cultural exchanges with South African music institutions, including UNISA, the University of Pretoria Orchestra, the Morris Isaacson Centre for Music in Soweto, the Athlone School for the Blind, and student ensembles across Cape Town.

South African Tour Dates

• Wed, May 21, 2025 | 19:00
  Concert I: Aula Theatre, University of Pretoria

• Fri, May 23, 2025 | 19:00
  Concert II: Regina Mundi Church, Soweto

• Sat, May 24, 2025 | 16:00
  Concert III: Linder Auditorium, University of the Witwatersrand/JCE, Johannesburg

• Mon, May 26, 2025 | 19:00
  Concert IV: Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre, Parow, Western Cape

• Tues, May 27, 2025 | 19:30
  Concert V: Cape Town City Hall

Tickets start from just R100 and are available online through Quicket.

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